Hat-felting machine.



N0. 7l2,466. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

J. S. TAYLOR, Decd.

E. M. BULKLEY.-Executor.

HAT FELTING' MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 7, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES. 5 INVENTOR. OPOW DT J fl I UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. TAYLOR, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT; EUGENE M. BULKLEY EXECUTORIOFSKID TAYLOR, DECEASED.

HAT-FELTING MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATIONforming part of Letters Batent No. 712,466, dated October 28, 1902. Application filed February 7, 1902. 'Sei ial No. 93,019. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S.TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, county of Fairfield,State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Hat-Felting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to felting-machines generally, more especially to machines for felting hat-bodies, and hasfor its object to so improve the construction of the machine that while adapted to the felting of both soft and stiff hats indiscriminately it shall be especially adapted to the felting of soft or roughrider hats, the special objects being to increase the capcity of the machine, to improve the quality of the Work performed, and to make the machine easy to operate and attractive by its general mode of operation to the operator. 1 I I With these ends in view I have devised the novel felting-machine which I will now doscribe, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and using reference characters to designate the several parts.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my novel felting-machineas in. use, a bundle of hat bodies being shown in the felting-chamber between the rollers; and Fig. 2 is a similar View, the upper roller being. raised, aswhen the operator is rerolling a bundle of hatbodies. y

It is well understood by those familiar with the art of felting hat bodiesthat the. best effect'in the firstportion of the felting operation is produced by what is called the deadfall" action of the top or worker roller-that is, the simple action of gravity of the workerroller and the frame by which it is carried unassisted by springs or weightsand that the pressure exerted upon theroll of hatbodics must be increased as the felting operation proceeds. This action of increasing the pressure upon the roll of hat-bodies requires the best of judgment on the partof the operator in applying the proper degree of pressure at the difierent stages of the felting operation. This additional pressure or force applied by the workmen is quite properly termed nerve force, and long practice has demonstrated that it can be verymuch better applied by hand-power than by foot-power.

In felting a roll of hat-bodies they require to be changed-that is, the bundle must be taken out of the machine, opened, and rerolled after from ten to twenty seconds action of the machine, which. with machines as ordinarily constructed is hard work and Very exhausting. By my novel machine I aim to increase the capacity of the machine and at the same time to improve the quality of the work performed by reducing to the minimum theamount of strength required to be used by the operator and so organizing the machine that but little movement is required by the operator and that movement is made very easy, so that the operator not being physically exhausted may apply the nerve force, so called, that is required to obtain the best results in the felting operation in the easiest manner possible and without serious physical labor.

10 denotes a frame, which maybe of any ordinary or preferred construction; 11, the front roller, shownas j on rnaled on the frame; 12, the back roller, journaled on standards 13, (one only being shown,) extending upward from the frame, and 14: the top or Worker roller, which is journaled on a yoke or frame 15, which is pivotedconcentrically with the back roller--that is to say, the yoke or frame is adapted to swing concentrically with the axis of rotation of the back roller. It is,

wholly immaterial how the machine is driven or how power is transmitted to the rollers.

I have indicated by dotted lines a belt-pulley.

backward from its pivotal point, and aspring 23 connects it with a convenient portion of the frame, the connection of the spring with the lever being preferably adj ustable, as shown, so as to enable the operator to adjust the tension of the spring on the lever. The

action of the spring is to'lift the swinging frame and worker-roller when the hand-lever is released, as presently described.

24 denotes a lug on the frame, which extends into position to be engaged by lever 22when it is desired to lift the frame and the workerroller, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The handlever is preferably provided with a plate 25, (see dotted lines,) which is adapted to engage a rack 26 to lock the hand-lever at its lowered position as in use. (See Fig. 1.)

The operation of my novel machine in felting a bundle of hat-bodies will be readily understoodfrom thedrawings. Tolifttheframe and the worker-roller, as in inserting or removing a bundle of hat-bodies, the operator disengages the hand-lever from the rack, and the spring 23 at once acts through the lever 22 to raise the hand-lever and through the engagement of lever 22 with the lug upon the frame by which the worker-roller is carried raises the frame and with it the worker-roller. The hand-lever is locked at the raised position by engaging the lever with the rack, as shown in Fig. 2. As soon as a bundle of hat-bodies has been placed in the felting-chamber between the rollersthe operator lowers the handlevers and looks it in the lowered position, as in Fig. 1, which permits the full effect of the dead-fall action, so called, of the workerroller upon the bundle of hat-bodies,the spring having no action on the yoke and worker-roller when thehand-lever is in its lower position. As the felting operationv proceeds and it becomes necessary to apply additional pressure to the worker-roller it will be noted that both hands and both feet of the operator are free that is, the operator is not required to have his foot upon a treadle or foot-lever or his hand upon a hand-lever-so that with his hand he may apply any required amount of pressurei. 6., nerve forceto the frame which carries the worker-roller, and thus regulate to the finest degree the additional pressure that it is desirable to apply to the bundle ofhat-bodies through the worker-roller.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1.. In a machine of the character described the combination with front and back rollers, a worker-roller and aswinging frame by which the worker-roller is carried, of'a' lever 22mov=- able independently of and adapted to engage the swinging frame, a hand-lever and a link connecting the hand-lever and lever 22,whereby when the hand-lever is raised lever 22 will be raised also and will engage and raise the swinging frame and worker-roller.

2. In a machine of the character described the combination with a frame, front and back rollers, a worker-roller and a swinging frame by which the worker-roller is carried, of a lever22 movable independently of and adapted to engage the swinging frame, a spring connecting the rear end of said lever with the frame, ahand-lever and a link connecting the forward end of lever 22 with the hand-lever, said spring acting when the hand-lever is raised into engagement with the swinging frame to partly counterbalance the weight of the swinging frame and roller.

3. In a machine of the character described the combination with front and back rollers, a hand-lever, a lever 22 and a link connecting said hand-lever with lever-22, ofa workerroller and a swinging frame by which said worker-roller is carried and which is movable independently of the lever 22, said swinging frame being provided with a lug adapted to be, engaged by lever 22, so that when the hand-lever and lever 22 are raised the swinging frame will be picked up and the workerroller raised.

4. In a machine of the character described the combination with front and back rollers, a worker-roller and a swinging frame by which the worker-roller is carried, of a hand-lever, a lever 22 movable independently of and adapted to engage the swinging frame, a link connecting the hand-lever and lever 22 and means for locking the hand-lever in a raised JAMES S. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

ROBERT S. ALEXANDER, EUGENE M. BULKLEY. 

